Social value: a UK white paper

SocialValue AUKWhitePaper Tickboxortruechange?RootsofthetermArup’ssocialvalueapproachWhatdoessuccesslooklike?ApplyingtheapproachCasestudies Outcomes:FocusingonqualityoflifeOutputs:CreatingcommunityassetsInputs:Leversandactivitiesforchange BritishLibraryExtensionThamesmeadEvaluationBirminghamCommonwealthGamesWalsdenSocialValueStrategy Socialvalue,socialequity,socialimpactorsocialresponsibility –whateveryoucallit,weknowthattodayitismoreimportantthaneverbefore. ©mapodile Thebuiltenvironmentsector,includingboththeprivateandpublicsector,haveadutyofcaretothecommunitiestheyworkintocreateplaces,infrastructureandcitiesthatsupportandgivebacktothosewhoaremostinneed.Thisisnotalwayseasy,andthereisnotaone-size-fits-allsolutionthatwecanjustrolloutacrosstheboard. AtArup,ourSocialValueandEqualityteamhasbeenworkingtodevelopthisUK-focusedWhitePaper,whichsetsouthowwethinkaboutsocialvalue,andourapproachtoembeddingitintoourprojects. Webelievethattakingthis‘theoryofchange’basedapproachisausefulframeworktoenableustofocusonrealchange,butwealsorecognisethatweareatthebeginningofthisjourneytowardsagreaterfocusonoutcomes.Weinvitepartnerstoworkwithus-andchallengeus-asweseektoputpeopleandtheirqualityoflifefirst. Asingleapproachtocommunitydevelopmentthatcanhelpuschangehowweunderstandtheworldaroundusandwherewecommitresourcestodeliversocialvalueismissing.InthisUK-focusedreportweoutlineArup’s approachthatwebelievecanfillthegap. TerriWills Cities,PlanningandDesign UKIMEASocialValueandEquityServiceLeader 23 Tickboxortruechange? RootsofthetermArup’ssocialvalueapproach Whatdoessuccesslooklike?Applyingtheapproach Casestudies Outcomes:FocusingonqualityoflifeOutputs:CreatingcommunityassetsInputs:Leversandactivitiesforchange BritishLibraryExtensionThamesmeadEvaluationBirminghamCommonwealthGamesWalsdenSocialValueStrategy Tickboxortruechange? In2012,theUKGovernmentlegislatedforsocialvalueintheUKPublicServices(SocialValue)Act1.Whilstthiscreatedtheimpetusforlocalauthoritiesandwiderpublicsectorbodiestoseekoutsocialvaluethroughtheircontracts,thelegislationwasdeliberatelyleft openonhowitcouldbeinterpreted,createdandmeasured.Whatensuedwasthepublicationofamyriad ofcomplementary,butsometimescompetingideas,toolsandframeworks,oftenchangingfromplacetoplace,whichindustrywerelefttodecipherandapply. Becauseofthisconfusionandtryingsohardtofocusonthedetailofallthedifferentapplicationsofthelegislation,wehavelostsightofwhatsocialvalueisreallymeanttobeabout.Arewefocusingtoomuchonmeasuringsocialvalue,ratherthancreatinglastingchange?Arewelimitingourselvesto deliversocialvalueactivitiesthatcanbemeasured,tothedetrimentofpotentiallymoreimpactfulaction,whichdoesnothaveanobviousnumericvalue?Andhasthisledtoalackofsharedpurposeandvisionamongstcommunities,theprivatesector,infrastructureprovidersandlocalauthorities? Fromourworkinengagingcommunities,workingwithdevelopers,utilityandinfrastructureproviders,andsupportinglocalauthoritiesonbuiltenvironmentprojectsacrosstheUK,weareseeingthatthereisaneedtocometogetherandworktowardswhatreallymatters–andtoovercomesomeofthesocial,economicandculturalchallengeswe’reseeingintoday’ssociety. Individualsandcommunities Theideaofdeliveringsocialvalueshouldbeuniversallybeneficialtoindividualsandcommunities,butopportunitiestocreatemeaningfulsocialbenefitsarebeinglost,andpotentialimpactsdiluted.Typically,organisationstakeabroadstrokeapproachtodeliveringsocialvalue,applyingthesameprinciplesandactivitiesinonecommunityafteranother.Byfailingtotailorapproachesandinterventionstotheprioritiesofthatneighbourhood,thepotentialtodeliverimpactthataddressesdistinctlocalneedsisreduced.Attheotherendofthespectrum,istheriskofover-consulting;thiscanoccurwhencommunitieswhichareintheshadow ofsignificantredevelopmentovermanyyearsandsometimesdecadesareaskedagainandagainwhattheirprioritiesareforthearea.Sometimesthisengagementpayslittleregardtowhathasbeenexpressedtodevelopersorauthorities inpreviousconsultations,leadingtofrustrationamongstlocalpeople, increasingmistrustandareluctancetoengagewithfuturedevelopmentsorplanningdecisions. Localauthorities IntheUK,thepowerofstrongpolicytodeliverpositiveoutcomesforlocal peopleisincreasinglythefocusforlocal,cityandregionalauthorities,reinforcedbythePublicServices(Socialvalue) Act2012andtheCabinetOffice’sProcurementPolicyNote06/20.Withpublicsectorspendingcontractingoverthelastdecade,butalsowithsocialneedincreasinginthewakeofthecost-of-livingcrisis,localauthoritieshavehadtoexpandtheirapproachtosecurebenefitsfortheirareas.Increasingly,theyareusingtheirplanningpowerstoensurethechallengesassociatedwiththedeliveryofnewdevelopmentsaredeftlybalancedtocreatesocialandeconomicbenefits. Thewayinwhichthesecontributionsarerealisedisevolvingandbecomingmorematureasplanningauthoritiesbegintousethefullbreadthoftheirpowerstosecurebenefitsforneighbourhoodsmostinneed.Achallengewiththisapproach,particularlyconsideringtheLevelling-Upagenda,isthatthesesocialandeconomicbenefitsareonlybeingfeltinthoseareaswhichplayhosttothemostsignificantdevelopment,leavi